AMA: We’re Dela Dzadey and Lana Graham, paraplanning and Xtools experts, Ask Us Anything!
Got a burning question? Join us here on Wednesday 22nd May from 2pm to 2:30pm. For those who don’t know us, I’m Dela Dzadey, director and advice manager at TNT Group, helping bridge the efficiency gaps in advice production for advisers and paraplanners. lana.graham is the Xtools product manager and resident expert at Iress, and we’ll be hanging out here to answer any questions you have. In the meantime, you can start popping your questions below and Ask Us Anything! Update: This AMA has now ended but please continue to pop your questions down below or in thediscussion forums and make sure you tag me at deladz or lana.grahamWhat Skills Matter in an AI-Driven Financial Services Industry?
I've been giving a lot of thought to how the increasing presence of artificial intelligence will affect how we hire and develop talent in the financial services industry. Would love to hear what everyone else is thinking. As AI gets better at handling routine tasks and data analysis, the kind of work we typically give to new hires to cut their teeth on, it raises some important questions. For starters, what kind of roles and responsibilities should we be hiring for now? Should we be focusing more on bringing in people with strong interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and strategic thinking abilities? People who are able to form genuine relationships with clients and come up with original solutions to difficult problems? What do you think are the key roles we should be hiring for now? I'm eager to hear your ideas on how businesses can attract, nurture, and retain top talent in this new era.AMA: I'm Zita White, Xplan doc notes expert and product manager at Iress, Ask Me Anything!
Got a burning question? Join me here on Thursday 13th June from 2pm to 2:30pm. With years of experience helping advisers, paraplanners, client administrators and compliance managers streamline file notes with Xplan, I’m here to help. Start popping in your questions below and Ask Me Anything! Update: This AMA has now ended but please continue to pop your questions in the discussion forums and make sure you tag me at zita.whiteWhat is your number 1 requirement when it comes to managing Client Correspondence?
There is no shortage of correspondence and communications between an Advice Practice and their Client. This can come direct from the client, from their accountant, from fund managers not to mention the correspondence created internally within your business. When it comes to managing these documents, there are many schools of thought around 'how to store' and 'where to store' this correspondance. From CRM solutions to Cloud Storage to internal servers to paper! So many factors need to be considered such as ease-of-access, security, cost to the business, and protection from theft or loss. When it comes to managing your client correspondence, what is your number 1 requirement (or top 3 if you can't narrow it down) and what drove you to pick your current method?What is the #1 process you have in your practice that makes you efficient?
Being able to move Inspired Money forward, this is a question I had to ask myself very early. This allowed me to remove myself from the technical aspects of the advisory process and focus on driving the business forward into what I saw as the future of advice. Using data better easily became the singular focus for us, and set us on the journey for a tech stack to assist us use our clients data better. It’s still a work in process but I can say this has allowed us to strip 40% from the advice process for new clients and 60% of the time our for the review process.AMA: I’m Jessica Lamb, director of Practice Dynamix, Ask Me Anything!
With over 15 years of experience in the financial planning industry and experience working with over 350 advice practices around Australia, I help bring businesses into the future. On Wednesday 24th April from 11am to 11:30am, I will be available to answer any burning questions you might have. Whether it’s about utilising the power of technology in the advice process, integrating sound business processes or uncovering Xplan’s hidden gems – start popping in your questions below and Ask Me Anything! Update: This AMA has now ended but please continue to pop your questions down below or in the discussion forums and make sure you tag me at Jessica-Lamb .What’s your craziest cybersecurity story?
In my latest blog, I shared a couple of stories from clients who had been compromised and were asking for everything from caravans to automatic dog feeders from China. The extraordinary lengths hackers go to obtain information can range from clever to just plain odd. So I want to know – what’s your craziest cybersecurity story?What steps have you and your team taken to address cybersecurity risk?
Recent CoreData research suggests advice practices could lose at least 13% of business in the aftermath of a cybersecurity incident. In light of this alarming figure, I want to know what steps have you and your team taken to address cybersecurity risk? I also encourage you to register for the upcoming webinar on February 29th at 9:00 am AEDT where fraser-jack and I will be looking at real-life stories of cyber breaches and what you can learn from them! Click here to register.
Client reviews
G'day All There is always a lot of focus on new client engagement and SOA production. Given most practices have way more ongoing clients than new, how are you finding the process of arranging review meetings and preparing review documentation? Could this area and the report we provide clients at review time do with some focus?What is your #1 efficiency tip for this year?
Are you streamlining client comms? Automating documentation? Updating your compliance process? Whether you are in the midst of planning, or are already in BAU - what is your number one efficiency tip for this year to ensure you are effective and able to achieve your 2024 goals? Let us know!
